Liquid filled container and method of manufacture

ABSTRACT

A general object of the present invention is to provide a liquid filled container constructed from a small tube of glass welded inside a larger tube of glass that has been blown or molded to a desired shape or size. The liquid filled bottle comprises an outer tube that has been blown or molded into a decorative shape, an inner tube welded to the outer tube, at least one support post for anchoring the inner tube and the outer tube, a female stone ground fitting that is welded to the opening of the bottle, and a stone ground male bottle stopper. The outer tube and inner tube forming a cavity to house a liquid that is sealed within the cavity. Preferably the liquid fill is an alcohol or glycerin based liquid with a freezing temperature that is lower than water. Additionally, the liquid fill may also glow in the dark or contain decorative agents such as glitter.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of useful and decorative bottles and more specifically, a bottle having an inner and outer cavity wherein the outer cavity is filled with a decorative and/or useful liquid.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

A general object of the present invention is to provide a liquid filled container constructed from a small tube of glass welded inside a larger tube of glass that has been blown or molded to a desired shape and size. The shape of the outer tube is larger than the inner tube and may be a larger cylinder, sphere, cone, two spheres, or any combination of these shapes.

The liquid filled bottle comprises an outer tube that has been blown or molded into a desired shape, an inner tube welded to the outer tube, at least one support post for supporting the inner tube to the outer tube, a female stone ground fitting that is welded to the opening of the bottle, and a stone ground male bottle stopper. The outer tube and inner tube forming a cavity to house a liquid that is sealed within the cavity. Preferably the liquid fill is an alcohol or glycerin based liquid with a freezing temperature that is lower than water. Additionally, the liquid fill may also glow in the dark or contain decorative agents such as glitter.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing the liquid filled bottle having an inner and outer cavity wherein the outer cavity is filled with a decorative and/or useful liquid. The method involving preparing the outer tube to receive the inner tube by forming the outer tube into a desired shape with both ends of the tube open. Creating a small vent hole at the bottom end of the outer tube. The vent hole allows heated air to escape from the outer cavity when the inner and outer tubes are welded together. Next, the inner tube is prepared by closing an end of the inner tube and welding at least one support post to the inner tube. In some embodiments, a plurality of support posts may be used for both support and decorative purposes depending on the shape of the outer tube. The inner tube is then placed inside the outer tube with the closed end at the bottom. Then the portion(s) of the outer tube adjacent to the support post(s) is heated to weld with the support post(s). Next, the bottom portion of the outer tube is closed. Finally the top of the bottle is formed by creating a ring seal with the top opening of the inner and outer tubes. The ring seal can then be formed into any desired opening shape or a female stone ground fitting can be welded to the ring seal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is side view of the liquid filled container in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 are side views of several alternative embodiments of the present invention having different shapes and numbers of support posts.

FIG. 3 shows the first step of manufacturing the first embodiment by setting up the lathe.

FIG. 4 shows the step of blowing the first bubble.

FIG. 5 shows the step of attaching the punty.

FIG. 6 shows the step of blowing the second bubble.

FIG. 7 shows the step of creating a vent hole.

FIG. 8 shows the step of removing the punty.

FIG. 9 shows the inner tube after it has been prepared in accordance with the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 shows the step of preparing the outer tube for attachment with the inner tube.

FIG. 11 shows the step of attaching the inner and outer tube.

FIG. 12 shows the step of cutting the outer tube.

FIG. 13 shows the step of closing the cut outer tube to form the bottle base.

FIG. 14 shows the step of flattening the bottom of the base.

FIG. 15 shows the step of attaching the support post at the bottom of the base.

FIG. 16 shows the step of attaching a punty to the bottle's bottom.

FIG. 17 shows the step of forming the opening of the bottle.

FIG. 18 shows the step of forming a ring seal at the bottle opening.

FIG. 19 shows the step of welding a female stone ground fitting to the bottle opening.

FIG. 20 shows the step of removing the punty from the bottle's bottom.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The process for creating the liquid filled bottle depicted in FIG. 1 will be described; however these steps should in no way be construed as limiting or interpreted to be absolutely required since there are multiple variations disclosed. The tools required for making the liquid filled bottle of FIG. 1 are: a two-sided glass lathe 1 with a large burner 2, a graphite marvering paddle 3, a blow hose 4, and a small hand torch 5. The glass materials needed are: a large borosilicate glass tube 6 (hereinafter “outer tube”), a smaller borosilicate glass tube 7 (hereinafter “inner tube”), two solid rods of glass 8 a-b (hereinafter “punty”), and a third solid glass rod 9 for forming support posts 10. The outer and inner tubes need to have diameters that are at least 5 mm difference. In the preferred, but not limiting, embodiment, a 75 mm tube is used for the outer tube 6 and a 65 mm tube is used for the inner tube 7. In the preferred embodiment the punty 8 is a 12 mm rod of solid borosilicate glass and a 10 mm rod of solid borosilicate glass is used for forming the support posts 10. Lastly, optional finishing materials such as a female stone ground joint 11 and male bottle stopper 12 may also be added to the bottle.

The liquid filled bottle shown in FIG. 1 comprises an outer tube 6 that has been blown or molded into a decorative shape, an inner tube 7 welded to the outer tube 6, at least one support post 10 a-c for anchoring the inner tube 7 and the outer tube 6, a female stone ground fitting 11 that is welded to the opening of the bottle, and a stone ground male bottle stopper 12. The outer tube 6 and inner tube 7 forming a cavity to house a liquid that is sealed within the cavity. Preferably the liquid fill is an alcohol or glycerin based liquid with a freezing temperature that is lower than water. Additionally, the liquid fill may also glow in the dark or contain decorative agents such as glitter.

Step 1:

As shown in FIG. 3, insert the outer tube 6 into one side of the lathe 1 and the punty 8 a into the opposite side. Start the lathe 1.

Step 2:

FIG. 4 shows the step of blowing the first bubble 6 a. To create the first bubble 6 a, focus the large burner flame 2 onto the front end of the outer tube 6 heating roughly a 4 inch area (depending on the size of the outer tube, the area should be adjusted so that there is sufficient molten material to close the tube and form a bubble wherein the bottle thickness is not compromised). It is important to evenly distribute the heat along the desired length of the outer tube 6 by moving the burner 2 along the desired length. Once heated to an even orange glow, use the blow hose 4 to blow a glass bubble 6 a to the desired final size. In the current embodiment, the bubble 6 a should be blown to 8 inches in diameter.

Step 3:

FIG. 5 shows the step of attaching the punty 8 a. To attach the punty 8 a, focus the small hand torch 5 at the center of the first bubble 6 a until the glass begins to melt and move opposite end of the lathe 1 where the punty 8 a is secured so that the punty 8 a is in contact with the heated area. The punty 8 a will serve as a handle to keep the glass from flopping and distorting while blowing the second bubble 6 b in step 4. Allow the attachment to cool.

Step 4:

FIG. 6 shows the step of blowing the second bubble. To blow the second bubble 6 b, repeat the steps for blowing a bubble in step 2: use the large burner 2 to heat a 4 inch section of the outer tube 6 adjacent to the first bubble 6 a and use the blow hose 4 to blow a second glass bubble 6 b. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, the second bubble is blown to 10 inches in diameter, slightly larger than the first bubble. The larger bubble provides a solid sitting surface for the bottle.

Step 5:

FIG. 7 shows the step of creating a vent hole 6 c. The vent hole 6 c is created by focusing the small hand torch 5 into a needle flame on any area at the backside of the second bubble 6 b. The vent hole 6 c should be at least 1/16 inch. The vent hole 6 c will serve as a gas vent to keep the internal pressure from shattering the bottle in later steps of this process. After the bottle is complete, the vent hole 6 c will serve as a port hole for liquid mixture to be filled into the chamber.

Step 6:

FIG. 8 shows the step of removing the punty 8 a and finishing the outer tube 6. Move the large burner 2 to the end of the bubble 6 a where the punty 8 a is attached to heat up the attachment between the punty 8 a and the first bubble 6 a. Once the attachment has been sufficiently heated, detach the punty 8 a and peel/remove excess glass from the end of the first bubble 6 a using the punty 8 a so the resulting opening is large enough to receive the inner tube 7. In this embodiment, the opening should be at least 65 mm in diameter.

Step 7:

FIG. 9 shows the step of preparing the inner tube 7. First, close one end of the inner tube 7 by heating the end and evenly working the glass until the opening is closed. Second, add support posts 10 a-c to maintain the inner tube's position when it is inserted into the outer tube 6. Support posts 10 a-c are attached by using the small hand torch 5 to heat and weld a glass rod 10 to the inner tube 7. In this embodiment, a 10 mm diameter glass rod is used. Once the glass rod 10 is attached, use the small hand torch 5 to cut a length of the glass rod 10, the resulting stump of glass is a support post 10 a-c. In this embodiment, the glass rod 10 is cut at 4 mm. Attach the first two support posts 10 a-b at opposite sides of the inner tube to align with the creases between the two bubbles 6 a-b of the outer tube 6. Attach a third support post 10 c at the closed end of the inner tube 7. While a three support post configuration is described, more or less support posts can be used depending on the design of the bottle. Additionally, the placement locations of the support posts may also change based on the shape of the outer tube.

Step 8:

FIG. 10 shows the step for preparing the outer tube 6 to attach with the inner tube 7. Insert the inner tube 7, closed end first, into the outer tube 6 until the support posts 10 a-b line up with the crease between the two bubbles 6 a-b. Next, focus the large burner 2 on the creased section between the bubbles 6 a-b. While heating the small width of glass, use the graphite mavering paddle 3 to apply pressure on the heated crease to constrict the diameter of the outer tube. The diameter should be constricted so that it is very close to the support posts 10 a-b, but not touching the support posts 10 a-b. Allow the outer tube 6 to cool.

Step 9:

FIG. 11 shows the step for attaching the inner tube 7 to the outer tube 6. Stop the lathe 1 from rotating. Using the small hand torch 5, focus a small flame on the crease at the top side of the outer tube 7 to melt the glass over the support post 10 a so that it sags and welds with the support post. Rotate the lathe 1 so that the opposite support post 10 b is on top and repeat the process for the other support post 10 b.

Step 10:

FIG. 12 shows the step for cutting the outer tube 6 and forming the bottle's base. Start the lathe 1 and move the large burner 2 to the side of the lathe where the outer tube 6 is secured. Focus the large burner 2 a distance behind the end of the inner tube 7 so that there is enough material to close the outer tube 6.

Step 11:

FIG. 13 shows the step of closing the bottom end of the outer tube 6. In this step, slowly and gradually heat the bottom portion of the outer tube 6 that has just been cut in step 10 to close the outer tube 6. Use the punty 8 a to remove excess material and work the molten glass to close the outer tube. Make sure that the surface of the outer tube 6 is close, but not touching the support post 10 c at the bottom of the inner tube 7. The importance of the vent hole 6 c from step 5 is emphasized here. Without the vent hole 6 c, heated air trapped between the two tubes will cause the outer tube 6 to expand and burst.

Step 12:

FIG. 14 shows the step of flattening the bottom of the bottle. Focus the large burner 2 on the recently formed bottom of the outer tube 6 and apply pressure using the flat face of the graphite mavering paddle 3 to flatten the bottom of the bottle. The bottom should not be touching the support post at the bottom of the inner tube.

Step 13:

FIG. 15 shows the step of attaching the support post 10 c to the bottom of the bottle. As in step 9, focus the small hand torch 5 on the bottom of the bottle adjacent to the bottom support post 10 c to melt the glass onto the support post 10 c.

Step 14:

FIG. 16 shows the step of attaching the punty 8 b to support the bottle while working on the top of the bottle. As in step 3, use the small hand torch 5 to heat the center of the bottom of the bottle and attach the punty 8 b.

Step 15:

FIG. 17 shows the step of forming the top opening of the bottle. Focus the large burner 2 to cut the inner tube 7 from the lathe 1. The large burner 2 should be placed a sufficient distance from the first bubble 6 a to leave enough material to form the lip of the bottle. In this current embodiment, the large burner 2 is placed 2-4 inches from the top of the first bubble. Use the other punty 8 a to remove material until there is only a thin layer of glass over the opening where the inner tube 7 and outer tube 6 meet.

Step 16:

FIG. 18 shows the step of forming a ring seal. To form a ring seal, use the second punty 8 a and small hand torch 5 to heat the thin layer of glass at the top opening of the bottle so that the inner and outer tubes are sealed together. Use the second punty 8 a to peel open the end to expose the inner tube. At this point, the inner and outer tubes are fused together and peeled open, this is a ring seal. Next, marver down the opening to fit the 14 mm female stone ground fitting 11. In other embodiments, a simple pour spout may be formed.

Step 17:

FIG. 19 shows the step of welding the female stone ground fitting 11. Use the small hand torch 5 to weld the female stone ground fitting 11 to the ring seal.

Step 18:

FIG. 20 shows the step of removing the punty 8 b from the finished bottle. At this time, the punty 8 b at the end of the bottle still needs to be removed. Secure the bottle using the lathe 1 or have a second person hold the bottle. Use the small hand torch 5 to cut the attachment between the punty 8 b and the base of the bottle. Remove any excess punty 8 b to ensure that the bottle will sit properly. While the bottom of the bottle is still hot, set it on a flat level graphite surface to ensure the bottom is flat and even. Finally, place the bottle in a kiln and heat to 1050 degrees for several hours.

Finally, after the bottle has been heated and cooled, the cavity between the two tubes can be filled with a decorative and/or useful liquid fill. Preferably the liquid fill is an alcohol or glycerin based liquid with a freezing temperature that is lower than water. Additionally, the liquid fill may also glow in the dark or contain decorative agents such as glitter. The fill hole can be covered with a water proof seal as is known in the art. While the invention has been illustrated and described in various embodiments, it is not limited to the details shown, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device and method of manufacture can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Some alternative embodiments are depicted in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the inner tube does not need to be a cylinder as described in the steps above. The inner tube can be shaped and worked in the same way as the outer tube has been described here. 

1. A method for manufacturing a container comprising: shaping an outer tube into a desired shape; forming a small hole at the bottom portion of the outer tube; preparing an inner tube for insertion into the outer tube by closing an end of the inner tube and welding at least one support post to the surface of the outer tube; inserting the inner tube into the outer tube and heating a portion of the outer tube adjacent to the at least one support post so that the outer tube is welded to the support post; forming the base of the container by cutting and closing the bottom section of the outer tube; and forming the top of the container by cutting and working the top end of the inner tube to create a container opening.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein shaping the outer bottle comprises: closing the outer tube; heating a portion of the closed outer tube and blowing a bubble shape.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the desired shape is two circular bulbs.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the desired shape is a cylinder.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the desired shape is a cone.
 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the desired shape is a sphere.
 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein there are three support posts.
 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein two of the support posts are located on a side of the inner tube and one support post is located at the closed bottom end of the inner tube.
 9. A container comprising: an inner tube; an larger outer tube; at least one support post connecting the inner tube to the outer tube; the inner tube and outer tube joined at the top and forming an opening for the container.
 10. The container of claim 9 further comprising an opening for filling the cavity formed between the inner wall of the outer tube and the outer wall of the inner tube.
 11. The container of claim 9 wherein the support post connects the bottom of the inner tube to the bottom of the outer tube.
 12. The container of claim 9 wherein there are three support posts.
 13. The container of claim 9 wherein the outer tube is a cylinder.
 14. The container of claim 9 wherein the outer tube is has a cross section shape of two circular bulbs.
 15. The container of claim 9 wherein the outer tube is a cone.
 16. The container of claim 9 wherein the outer tube is a sphere.
 17. The container of claim 9 wherein the inner tube and outer tube share the same shape.
 18. The container of claim 9 wherein the inner tube and outer tube are not the same shape. 